hey
i was wondering if anyone can give me some tips on how to shift when driving on a slope. I'm okay shifting from 1st to 2nd..but i get this jerk whenever i try to accelerate and shift from 2nd to 3rd (when going up a slope). Should i be giving it more gas before i release the clutch?

thanks

 

Hmmm... I haven't encountered that myself. Maybe take another owner out and demo the shift problem, or ride in their car to see what their technique is.

 

Sounds like a rev-matching problem.

When you upshift, you allow the engine RPM to drop just enough to match the revs needed for the new gear. If you do it correctly, no jerk. If you get it wrong, jerk (one way or another). In the meantime the car slightly slows down, due to drag.

On an uphill, the car slows down more with the same amount of time you have the clutch disengaged. So you will be at a lower speed than if you had been on level ground. This is probably what is messing you up.

Practice.

edit: I said "engaged" and should have said "disengaged"

 

cool thanks.

so i should be giving a bit more gas than usual when rev-matching since the incline causes the rpm to drop faster than usual?

i also tried shifting & releasing the clutch faster but i get the jerk again..but then i dunno if it's me or the delay valve some people are talking about.

thanks anyways!

 

Practice makes perfect.

 

When you downshift you need to give the car a little gas with the clutch out, because the engine needs to speed up. When you upshift, you just let the engine slow down all by itself and time it.

If the car jerks backwards (like you touched the brake) then the revs needed to be higher. If the car jerks forward, then the revs needed to be lower.

Practice practice practice.

You can also just slip the clutch a little more to let the clutch absorb the difference between the RPM the engine is at and the one it should be at, but a really good driver practices enough that he doesn't have to do that.

 

Hurrying yourself won't result in a smooth shift. Everything has to be done in a fluid motion. Rapid movement results in jerky shift. Try practicing one step at a time, move on only when you've mastered the first step.

Mike is dead on regarding using the clutch to absord the difference between the RPM.